


Long Handwritten Note Deep In Your Pocket

by BillieJoeArmstrong



Series: Cross-posted on tumblr [4]
Category: Roswell High - Melinda Metz
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Fluff, Getting Together, Humor, Lists, M/M, Teen Romance, alex is oblivious, but he means well
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-20
Updated: 2019-05-20
Packaged: 2020-03-08 06:43:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18889264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BillieJoeArmstrong/pseuds/BillieJoeArmstrong
Summary: Michael likes Alex. Alex takes a while to catch on.





	Long Handwritten Note Deep In Your Pocket

“Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker!” Alex and Michael shouted in time with John McClane on the small TV screen, before both boys burst into giggles.

Michael slung an arm over Alex’s shoulder as the red-head kicked his feet with laughter, knocking over the half-empty bag of nacho chips across the blanket they were tucked under.

Alex had been spending more time with Michael recently. Not that they hadn’t been close before - they had considered each other best friends for over a year now - but since Alex ended things with Isabel, he had turned to Michael for comfort. Though the alien prided himself on being a badass in public, he was actually more sensitive and sweet than anyone else Alex knew. In fact, he was the first person Alex told  _why_  he actually broke up with Isabel. Alex had confessed to Michael that he was gay one day when they were hanging out at the arcade, and Michael had just smiled, told him that was cool, and asked if he wanted to play whack-a-mole next.

Now they were sitting in Alex’s bedroom on a Saturday night in the winter while his parents were out, getting sugar-high on Lime Warp and candy canes and watching movies.

“Die Hard was an excellent movie choice,” Alex grinned.

“Hell yeah,” Michael smirked. “Best Christmas movie ever.”

“Of course,” Alex agreed. “That gives me an idea for a list, actually.”

“Christmas movies that actually have very little to do with Christmas?” Michael asked.

Alex shook his head, “way too obvious.” He smiled at Michael expectantly.

“Dude, I don’t know what’s going on in your head,” Michael replied, though his voice showed nothing but affection for his friend. “What’s the list?”

“Movies you should only watch with your favourite person,” Alex answered, a content smile on his face. “That’s you, by the way.”

“I’m your favourite person?” Michael raised an eyebrow while a light blush tinted his cheeks.

“Duh,” Alex rolled his eyes, “who else would shout iconic movie quotes at the tv with me? Liz? Maria? I don’t think so.”

Michael suddenly became quiet and started rubbing his thumb across his hand nervously. Alex looked at the floor guiltily. Was it because he mentioned Maria? He knew there were sparks flying between her and Michael for a while, but it never came to anything. Alex had thought it was mutual, but maybe it hurt Michael more than he was letting on. Alex was just about to apologise for bringing it up when Michael shifted away from him and spoke up suddenly.

“I actually, uh, wrote a list.” Michael said, voice croaky as though he was unsure but determined. “For you- your website, I guess.” He reached into his pocket and handed Alex a crumpled up piece of lined paper.

Alex took the paper gingerly and unfolded it. He stared for a moment, eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

 _List of things I want to say to you:_  
_\- Would_  
_\- You_  
_\- Like_  
_\- To_  
_\- Go_  
_\- Out_  
_\- With_  
_\- Me?_

“No,” Alex mumbled, looking up at Michael to find the alien staring at him intently, hope in his eyes. “I don’t… really think this would work.”

“Oh,” Michael’s face fell.

“I mean, no offence. It’s nothing against you, just…” Alex shrugged, “It doesn’t really  _fit_  what I need, ya know?”

Michael nodded sadly, “I get it.”

“Sorry,” Alex forced an apologetic look.

The boys finished  _Die Hard_  in an uncomfortable silence. The moment the movie was over, Michael made an excuse to leave, even though earlier he had promised they would watch whole trilogy.

Sitting in his bedroom alone after his best friend left, Alex wondered where he had gone wrong, and why Michael had been so hurt over him rejecting a list of disconnected, random words.

* * *

Alex hadn’t seen Michael for several days. They had plans to hang out, go bowling, get lunch. But Michael had suddenly ghosted, calling Alex up with some excuse of picking up extra shifts at Space Supplies, and then not speaking to him again for days. Alex hadn’t even seen him at school except in passing, it almost seemed like Michael was avoiding him.

Alex wasn’t sure what he could have done to offend Michael. The guy was tough and Alex joked around with him all the time. If anything, Michael’s teasing of Alex was harsher than the other way around.

Still, if Michael was avoiding him, Alex wanted to know why. He thought of going to Max, but he had a lot on his mind. Liz didn’t really hang out with Michael that often. Michael and Maria were still having issues. That meant Isabel was the best person to go to.

Alex was dreading going to see his ex-girlfriend. Their breakup wasn’t particularly messy, and they were on decent terms still. But they hadn’t really shared more than small-talk since.

So Alex chickened out, and called Isabel on the phone instead.

Isabel picked up on the third ring. “Hello, Isabel Evans here,” she sing-songed sweetly.

“Hey, it’s Alex.”

“Alex, I told you, that hoodie is mine now. I don’t care how much you like the shade of green it is-” Isabel started. Alex could practically hear the eye-roll in her voice.

“I’m not calling about that.” Alex sighed, “do you know why Michael’s been avoiding me?”

Isabel scoffed, “why do you think?” Her voice was full of spite, sounding sharper and more hurt than it had when he’d broken up with her.

“I don’t know!” Alex grumbled into the phone, “we were hanging out and chilling like normal and then next thing I know he’s cancelled all our plans and doesn’t want to talk to me! I know you and him are close, so what gives?”

“Yeah, we are close,” Isabel snarked. “So I’m not exactly happy that you would reject him so dismissively like he said you did.”

“Dismiss him? Wha-” Alex shook his head, “is this about that stupid list?!”

“Stupid?!” Isabel sounded scandalised, “and you wonder why you hurt Michael.”

Isabel hung up abruptly and Alex felt even more confused than before.

So Michael was  _really_  hurt that Alex didn’t like his list of words. Maybe they had some deeper meaning. Maybe it was a message for someone that Michael knew would read the website.

Alex sighed, realising that maybe the only way to repair his friendship with Michael was to post the list and hope the guy saw.

So Alex went to his computer, and started a new post on his website.

_Hi guys. My friend wrote this list for me. I don’t really understand it, but it seems important to him. Maybe y'all can decipher it._

_List of things I want to say to you:_  
_\- Would_  
_\- You_  
_\- Like_  
_\- To_  
_\- Go_  
_\- Out_  
_\- With_  
_\- Me?_

After posting the list, Alex went to bed and spent the night dreaming of Michael’s forgiveness.

* * *

_You idiot he’s asking you out_

That was the first comment Alex read when he went to check his website the next morning. It was a reply to the list Michael had written. Alex stared at the comment, and the several dozen below it that said very similar.

_He’s asking you on a date_

_Your friend is into you_

_Please tell me this is a joke. Your friend wants to go out with you._

_So cute!! Invite me to you guys’ wedding!_

_etc. etc._

“Oh, shit!” Alex said out loud, bringing his hands to his forehead. His eyes were wide as the truth dawned on him.

Michael wasn’t upset that Alex had rejected his list, Michael was upset that Alex had rejected  _him_.

The more shocking realisation, though, came a semi-second later, when Alex registered that had he understood what Michael was actually asking, he would have said yes in a heartbeat.

“I’m in love with Michael,” Alex whispered out loud to himself.

* * *

Alex waited for Michael by his locker that morning. He desperately wanted to apologise for hurting Michael - even if he hadn’t realised he was doing it - and maybe, perhaps, see if the alien’s offer was still open.

“Hey, Michael!” Alex called when he caught sight of his dark-haired friend walking down the hallway.

Michael sighed and looked at the floor as he approached his locker. “Hi, Alex,” he mumbled dejectedly. “Listen, about the other day-”

Alex cut him off, “I posted your list last night.”

Michael blinked, then frowned. “You.. Posted it? Why?” he sounded hurt. “Did you think your hundreds of fans on the internet would get a laugh out of it? Alex, rejecting me was one thing but to mock-”

“I didn’t realise!” Alex interrupted again, “I didn’t. I misread the note I didn’t understand. I thought it was just a list of words and I didn’t realise I was hurting you. So I posted it and all the comments were saying that you liked me and I realised that maybe i like you too and had just completely misunderstood and-”

Alex stopped when he realised Michael was laughing at him. His cheeks turned bright pink.

“You’re serious?” Michael said through rounds of laughter.

“Well.. Yeah,” Alex defended, “I wouldn’t have said no if I understood what you were asking.”

Michael rolled his eyes, “you’re such an idiot.” He chuckled before checking the hallway was empty and pressing a quick, sweet kiss to Alex’s flushed cheek.

“Maybe,” Alex grinned, overwhelmed with feelings of giddiness and joy, “but I’m  _your_  idiot.”

**Author's Note:**

> The world deserves more book!malex. I love my two idiot sons.
> 
> Title comes from Sad Beautiful Tragic by Taylor Swift.
> 
> Please drop a comment here or on my tumblr (aliencowboys) I crave validation.


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